Jock-strap.



L. C. WEST.

JOUK STRAP.

APPLICATION FILED 11113.21. 1910.

1,02,588, Patented Mar. 19,1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAUREL C. WEST, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

TOOK-STRAP.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LAUREL C. Vns'r, residing in Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of vWisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Jock-Straps, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in jock-straps.

Jock-straps are intended more particularly for the use of athletes, to be worn during participation in athletic sports and pastimes of every description, such as bicycle and motorcycle riding, base-ball, foot-ball, tennis, horseback riding, gymnasium work, and also for use by professional acrobats and gymnasts. In this class of devices it is desired that the private organs, viz. the penis and scrotum shall be held in a raised position, with the former inverted and lying against the abdomen. In the raised position of the parts, and with the penis inverted, as described, the liability of injury to the organs, resulting, for instance, from the parts being crowded forcibly against the saddle of a bicycle or motor cycle, or against a riding saddle of a horse, is reduced to the minimum.

The so called suspensories differ from jock-straps principally in the fact that the main function of the former is to hold the parts in a slightly raised position suticient to relieve the cords and tissues of the scrotum from strain. Also, as suspensories are designed to be worn constantly, they are ordinarily equipped with penis openings, to promote convenience in urinating. As, however, jock-straps are ordinarily intended only for use during the time the wearer is engaged in athletic pursuits, the penis opening is not as a rule provided in jock-straps.

The trouble existing in the jock-straps as ordinarily used is that the construction thereof is such as to be incapable of positively holding the penis in inverted position against the abdomen, inasmuch as in the most common form of jock-strap the pouch which is adapted to contain the penis and scrotum is of elastic material, and when the wearer engages in a particularly violent game, the penis will force itself down on account of the giving qualities of the elastic material of the pouch.

It is, therefore, the primary object of my Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 21, 1910.

Patented Mar. 19,1912.

Serial No. 544,985.

invention to provide a form of jock-strap wherein the pouch while possessing all the comfort o-f the elastic pouch will at the same time, absolutely and securely hold the penis in its raised position against the abdomen, without any possibility of the penis working down to normal posit-ion, no matter how violent the exercise may be.

l/Vith the above, and other objects in view, the invention consists of the jock-strap and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views, Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of the complete jock-strap; Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view thereof; and Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral Il indicates a Vaist band preferably formed of elastic material which is connected at its ends to a non-elastic fabric portion 5 forming with the waist an endless belt. A nonelastic fabric sewed to and depending from the fabric portion 5 in the form of a supporting pouch or bag G having a medial fullness 7 in its lower portion is adapted t-o support and hold the scrotum and testicles closely against the lower portion of the abdomen of the wearer. The fullness of the bag is obtained by forming the bag of a straight elongated piece of material having its lower end gored out and the two edges 8 8 sewed together to form the medial fullness which gradually lessens toward the top of the bag which is connected to the nonelastic waist band portion 5. By connecting the bag to the non-elastic portion of the band the fullness of the bag is preserved regardless of the stretch of the elastic portion of the waist band. Thigh bands 9 preferably formed of elastic fabric are sewed to the lower rear portion of the supporting bag and extend in diverging lines to and are connected to opposite sides of the waist band by lines of stitches.

In order to hold the penis in an inverted position against the abdomen and to prevent its accidental displacement while exercising` a pocket 10 is provided and into which the organ is inserted and securely held in position. This pocket is formed in the bag by constructing the bag of two thicknesses of material, the inner piece 11 or pocket portion being connected to the bag proper along its side and bottom edges by means of a binding strip 12 which covers the above mentioned edges of the two pieces of material and is sewed thereto and binds the two parts together. An elongated penis opening 13 is provided in the inner or pocket piece of the material for the insertion of the organ in the pocket. The edges of the material forming the opening are bound with a binding 14 to prevent raveling of the material. The bottom of the pocket is formed just below the penis opening by joining the inner and outer fabrics together by rows of stitch lines 15 which extend from the lower edge of the penis opening toward the side edges of the bag at an upward angle. -The upper edge of the pocket fabric is bound with a lining strip 16 and is free from connection with the outer fabric at this point to provide an upper opening 17 to the pocket for convenience in inserting the hand to adjust the position of the organ in said pocket from one side of the pocket to the other side.

In use the jock-strap is drawn up over the limbs with the thigh bands encircling the thighs of the wearer, until the belt portion' surrounds the waist and when in this position, or just before this position has been reached, the penis is inserted through the penis opening into the pocket and the scrotum and the testicles are inserted into the pouch or bag. The hand is then inserted between the belt and the abdomen of the wearer into the pocket opening and the penis is adjusted to one side of the pocket or the other according to the wearers usual custom of dressing and thus conducing to the comfort of the wearer.

By the provision of the separate pocket for the penis the jock-strap is much cooler to wear than it would be with the organs in contact with each other and the abdomen thus further adding to the comfort of the wearer. The separate pocket also securely holds the penis in adjusted position and also serves to hold the other organs connected thereto in the pouch of the jock-strap.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the jock-strap is very simple in construction and is well adapted to perform the functions for which it was designed.

The expression non-elastic material used in the specification and claims is to be understood as meaning any fabric which is not formed with elastic rubber strands.

lVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. A jock-strap pouch, comprising two rectangular pieces of non-elastic material sewed together at their side edges and provided at their lower ends with a bottom formation and a pocket between the two thicknesses of material, one of said pieces of material provided with an opening in oommunication with the pocket, and a line of stitches extending across the material just below the opening and connecting the two pieces together.

2. A jock-strap, comprising a waist band, a member connected to and depending from the waist band, said member formed of two pieces of material sewed together at their side edges and medially transversely to form a pouch and a pocket within the pouch and above the medial line of stitches, the entrance to said pocket positioned within the pouch, and thigh bands connected to the member below the medial line of stitches and to the waist band.

3. A jock strap, comprising a waist band, and a pouch secured to and depending from the waist band and having a pocket in the upper portion of the pouch which is provided with an opening within the circler of the band and also provided with a penis opening within the pouch.

t. A jock strap, comprising a waistband, a member connected to and depending from the waist band, said member formed of an inner and an outer piece of material sewed together at their side edges and medially transversely to form a pouch and a pocket within the pouch and above the medial line of stitches, said pocket having a medial opening within the pouch and another opening within the circle of the waist band, and thigh bands connected to the member 'below the medial line of stitches and to opposite sides of the waist band.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

LAUREL C. WEST.

Vitnesses:

C. H. KEENEY, ALMA A. KLUG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained.A for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

